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Don't Sweat the Technique: The Most Skilled DJs in EDM Right Now

One of the key difference between the "electronica" craze of the 1990s and today's EDM scene is the fact that vinyl is pretty much unheard of as a means to play or sell music. Back in the '90s, the turntable was outselling the guitar and being looked at as an instrument, and not just something to play music on; today, if you have a good DJ controller and a laptop with Serato, there's no reason for a turntable to be in your life.

With that loss of the art of vinyl and how it pertains to DJing, there are certain skills and techniques that DJs who learned on that medium just don't have today. Not to say that a DJ coming up now can't be as technically skilled as someone from that era, but without that knowledge, they learn different skills... or find ways to bypass the need for those skills to work on their mixing and whatever effects they bring to the table.

The art of that kind of older DJ is not lost however. There are DJs who cut their teeth on the older model and are now helping shape the dance music scene. Some of the names are obvious, while others might not be as known, but these DJs have the skills to really excite a crowd through the art of turntablism. Here are the most skilled DJs in EDM right now.